Harry Potter: Why Muggles Can't Find Hogwarts

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is probably one of the most famous educational establishments in modern history after maybe Sunnydale High and the School of Hard Knocks. But while fans have spent years wandering the halls with Harry Potter and his pals in both the books and the films adapted from them, it always appeared (or didn't in this case) that Muggles never stumbled across it during Harry's term time or even before. How in Merlin's beard did it stay out of sight, though? As much of a fortress as it was a school that medieval eyesore could be seen from miles away, surely? Well, as you'd expect, it's a kind of magic that keeps the school at pay from visitors that might happen to come across it, as well as keeping the whole thing together. 

According to J. K. Rowling in an online Scholastic chat from 2000 (via AccioQuote) the school is "Like the Weasley's house, it isn't a building that Muggles could build, because it is supported by magic." At the same time, that nifty feature that keeps the world of wizards and witches ticking over is also what keeps the school out of sight from Muggles, besides a select few. Hogwarts was wrapped up in magic to protect itself from not only enemy intruders but also Muggle-Repelling Charms that only a select few have broken through.

As revealed in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," the Muggle Repelling Charm was a nifty little security measure that could keep anyone who didn't know their Patronus from a Portkey at bay. Initially revealed in the books as a spell used for the Quidditch World Cup, it can lead to varying reactions. In the case of the tournament, Arthur Weasely explained that "Every time Muggles have got anywhere near here all year, they've suddenly remembered urgent appointments and had to dash away again."

In the case of Hogwarts, the spell was known to provide a more intense barrier for non-magical folk. A Muggle venturing the stunning view of the school would instead be greeted by a worn-down castle warning the viewer to turn back. Thankfully, the security measures were lowered for some, including the likes of Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and decades earlier for Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) in "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore." Getting the VIP treatment would allow them to see the world they were missing out on while the rest of us had to miss out on a really cool school where its pupil's future was chosen by a hat.